Is It Bad to Slightly Overinflate Your Tyres? A Complete Guide

When car maintenance comes into play, tyre pressure is something that many drivers do not think about until a problem arises. Do you wonder if putting a little extra air in your tyres hurts them or helps? The truth is that a slight overinflation of 1-2 PSI is usually nothing to worry about. However, much higher amounts like 5, 10, or even 20 PSI can cause complications. Knowing what the proper Cheap Tyres Bicester pressure is for your car and how overinflation affects tyre performance will help you properly maintain your car, become more safety-conscious, and potentially even save some bucks on fuel and tyre replacement.

What is the "Right" Tyre Pressure?

Before we talk about overinflation, it's important to understand what the correct tyre pressure actually is for your vehicle. Many people make the mistake of using the wrong number.

Do Not Use the Number on the Tyre Sidewall

If you look at the side of your tyre, you'll see a number followed by "PSI" (pounds per square inch). This number might be something like 44 PSI or 51 PSI. This is NOT the recommended pressure for your tyres. This number is the maximum pressure the tyre can safely hold. Going above this number could be dangerous and might lead to a blowout.

Where to Find the Correct Tyre Pressure

The correct tyre pressure for your vehicle is determined by the car manufacturer, not the tyre maker. You may find this information in several places:

On a sticker inside the driver's door jamb (most common location) In the glove compartment On a label under the hood In your owner's manual This recommended pressure is usually between 30-35 PSI for most passenger cars, but it can vary. Some vehicles even have different recommended pressures for the front and rear tyres.

"Cold" tyre Pressure is What Matters

Typically, when setting recommended tyre pressures, the indication of those would be to "cold" tyres. Hence, on such occasions, the pressure can be checked while the vehicle is parked for such duration. For example: 

- by not having the car travel at least three hours 

-or by traveling less than a mile at moderate speeds. 

This is crucial because tyres heat up during driving, thereby increasing air pressure within tyres. On hot days, tyre pressure can be increased by 5 PSI or more as a result of driving at highway speed. 

What Happens When You Slightly Overinflate Your tyres? 

If the tyres are over-inflated by 1-2 PSI, you will not notice much change. But what if they are inflated way too much? Here are some effects: 

Better Fuel Economy (A Small Benefit)

One possible benefit from slightly over-inflated tyres would be increased fuel economy; that is, when tyres are inflated somewhat above stated specifications:Rounder tyres have less contact area with the road, reducing rolling resistance-the measure of friction between your tyres and the surface. Less friction means less engine work to move the car, which slightly improves fuel economy. According to some studies, for every 1 PSI below the recommended pressure, you lose about 0.2% of fuel efficiency, which adds small amounts of pressure for small value gains in efficiency. Still, that very small gain is far outweighed by the negatives. 

A stiffer, less comfortable ride. 

The ride would be the first thing you would notice with tyres overinflated. Your tyres help the car act as a suspension system, distending to absorb small bumps and irregularities in the road before the transit of that energy reaches the mechanical suspension components (shock absorbers and springs).

Tyres inflated too highly tend to:

• Get stiffen
• Not react suitably with bumps
• Transfer more into the suspension and down through the passenger's compartment
• Exhibit more vibration or jerking of movement when used for travelling

It does have an effect on using the shock absorber of the car, but on an uneven road, the quality of the ride will be less enjoyable.

UnevenTyre Wear 

Properly inflated tyres wear evenly across the whole breadth of the tread surface. Over-inflated tyres are somewhat deformed:

• The center of the tyre bulges out more
• The vehicle weight is more on the center of the tread
• Less weight is supported on the edges of the tread

It leads to a case with time in which there will be more wear in the middle of the car tyre and very little at edges. If you see that over time your tyres wear out faster in the middle but the sides seem relatively untouched, it could indicate over-inflation.

That kind of wear will not only affect wear life, but also shorten life because when you have to replace the tyres will be much sooner than if all of them were well inflated.

Conclusion

Inflating tyres slightly beyond the recommendations, by one or two PSI, is usually not too much of a problem, and might even slightly improve fuel consumption. On the contrary, major overinflation would cause harshness in the ride, uneven tyre wear, and handling characteristics that may affect safety.

In general, one should inflate Cheap Tyres Bicester according to the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer. The stated pressure will provide the best balance for ride comfort, handling, tyre wear, and fuel efficiency for that specific vehicle.